AUSTRALIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 August 1916, Page 5

AUSTRALIA.

A COMPULSION MEASURE. • WITH MODIFICATIONS. REFERENDUM TO BE TAKEN, Received August 30, M.5 p.m. Melbourne, August 29. The caucus inet last night, and is considering Mr. Hughes' war measures. It has been decided to make public the result when the House meets on Wednesday. Melbourne, August 30. In the House, Mr. Hughes (Federal Premier) stated that tho Government liiul arrived at the conclusion that the piesent system of recruiting could not he relied upon to supply the necessary reinforcements. Therefore the Government considered there was only one course to pursue, which was to ask the electors to supply the deficiency by compulsion. It- was proposed to take a referendum at the earliest possible, moment. If a majority approved compulsion it would be applied to the extent that if sufficient volunteers responded there would be no need for compulsion. The Government did not intend to apply compulsion to married men or youths under 21, single men with dependents, or the remaining sons of families where one or more members had already ' volunteered, until the supply of single men without dependents had been exhausted, it was further decided that if, within any one month, a sufficient mimbjr of recruits did not respond to the appeal, a proclamation would be issued under the Defence Act calling up for training the necessary number of single men without dependents to make good the deficiency. Mr. Hughes will further elaborate the policy on Friday. ' THE CASUALTY LISTS. Sydney, August 29. Lists 200 and 201 contain the names of the following New Zealanders: — Killed in action. —Privates J. Kelleher, G. O. S. Forsyth, J. Loe and E. Cadogan. Died of wounds.—Sergeant D. Sanson. Wounded.—Privates P. N. Elmsley, G. B. Campbell, O. N. G. Fleming and H. Commons; wounded and dangerously ill, Privates J. Lester and F. G. Clarke; wounded (second occasion), Lanee-Cor-poral F. Rogers and Private C. A Ross, J. Stewart jtiUtd, occasion},